Martin De Ruyter/Stuff
The Streets for the People trial project at the Commercial and Meihana St intersection has caused traffic delays at the end of a school day.
An intersection restructure in Tākaka is causing traffic delays of up to 20 minutes, but the community is split on the benefits of the trial project. As part of a safety initiative under the Waka Kotahi NZ Transport Agency Streets for People project, the Tasman District Council has closed a one-way street which links Meihana St to Commercial St, State Highway 60. The trial project has seen many changes to the intersection outside Golden Bay High School, including a raised crossing, installation of speed humps on Rototai Rd, curb realignment, seating in the area and planter boxes closing vehicle access to the one-way street.
The decision to amend the TDC’s Freedom Camping Bylaw was made last week, with councillors voting to close sites at Waitapu Bridge and Taupata Reserve. But the decision to not include any sites in the new bylaw due to lack of available council-owned land – except Motupipi Carpark in Tākaka for self-contained vehicles only – has angered some business owners, who say the council has “shot itself in the foot”.
Bayleys/Supplied
Golden Bay has long been a controversial area for freedom camping, with tens of thousands of visitors every summer. The only alternative proposal, which did not go ahead following opposition, was to turn a former dump site into the bay s new freedom camping spot, but was nothing short of a bad idea”.